(I found this on the internet, she's not actually flying this one)
She got in late on Friday night after driving all day from Ft. Benning, GA. Saturday morning we got up and headed for the city. There was a lot to see so we started at Arlington National Cemetery to walk around a little and watch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is also where we found our first Cherry Blossoms! We are currently in the middle of the centennial celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC, however some rain and strong winds last weekend blew away most of the cherry blossoms. I was afraid I missed all of them but we did find a few that must have bloomed late so I wasn't disappointed.
(I didn't miss them!)
(Stopping to smell the...Cherry Blossoms!)
(Changing of the Guard)
(Lots of beautiful flowers around)
After Arlington we got back on the metro to go to the Pentagon. We wanted to see the Pentagon Memorial and I was told, since we have military ID's, we could go inside as well. We found out that is partially true. During the week, we would be allowed to go in with our military ID's but on the weekend we have to be escorted...we don't know why, but that's ok. The Pentagon Memorial was well worth the trip.
(There is a 'track' for each year of birth for every person lost in the attacks on the Pentagon and for the plane that crashed in the field in PA...)
(Within each track that runs across the grounds, there are cantilevered benches, one bench for every person lost in their respective year of birth. As you can see in the picture, some benches face the Pentagon and some face the direction of the approach of American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon. As it was explained to us, if you were to lay on the bench, following the curve of the bench, that tells you where the person listed on the bench was killed. Looking at the closest bench in the picture, laying on it, you would face away from the Pentagon, that person was killed on American Airlines flight 77. Likewise, the bench just behind the tree, laying on it, you would face the Pentagon, the person listed on that bench was killed in the Pentagon when the plane crashed into it)
(LCDR David Williams, USN was working in the Pentagon and killed when the plane came crashing in. You can also tell where the person was at the time of their death by looking at the name on the bench, I can read his name and see the Pentagon behind it so I know that's where he was. There is also a lighted pool of water under each bench, if the person listed on the bench had family members that were also killed in the attacks, the family members names are listed on a stone in the water, forever binding the family together)
(This wall goes around the outside of the memorial, it starts at 3" high at one end and grows to 71" high on the other end. The youngest person killed in the attacks was 3 year old Dana Falkenberg, the oldest was 71 year old John D. Yamnicky. You can see the first track, 1930 for the 71 year old Navy Veteran that was killed)
(Panoramic viewof the Pentagon and the memorial)
(Marine One flew overhead as we were walking around the Memorial)
(Here we are on the Metro headed towards downtown DC)
(Here I am at the WWII Memorial, we took the pictures because you can see the kite festival in the background by the Washington Monument)
(Amy and the kites)
(Amy and I in front of the Wisconsin pillar at the WWII memorial)
(Me pouting because all the cherry blossoms around the tidal basin were gone)
(Amy joking around)
(We stopped at a sculpture garden in the National Mall)
(Amy and the tulips!)
(There were dozens of different colored tulips!)
(In front of the Capital, our last stop before heading home)
I had such a great weekend, I'm so thankful Amy could stop by on her way through and see my new place and go exploring with me! More adventures soon to come!
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